NBAA
2007 LAUNCHES IN ATLANTAThe business aircraft market has
never been hotter, but that doesn't mean everything is perfect. As the
National Business Aviation Convention rolls into the Georgia World
Congress Center in Atlanta on Tuesday, NBAA and its allies in general
aviation remain embroiled in a political battle in Washington that could
fundamentally change the way general aviation operates in the U.S. While
there have been some encouraging signs about the future funding of the
FAA, the battle over user fees is far from over, judging by the banners
outside the convention center. And could a pending takeover in the
piston single sector overshadow the turbine-oriented NBAA show, with
Cessna rumored to be buying Columbia.

CESSNA
REPORTEDLY INTERESTED IN COLUMBIAOregon definitely isn't
Kansas but a key component of one Oregon town's economy could be headed
there. According to the Wichita Eagle, Cessna is one of as many as three
suitors for Columbia Aircraft, which has been shopped around by the
Malaysian government, its principal investors, for about a year.
Analysts say acquiring Columbia would give Cessna instant penetration of
the luxury touring market that it has all but surrendered to Cirrus and
the current incarnation of Columbia (the 182 and 206 are not really
considered in the same market segment by many analysts). Cessna's
interest could be an indication that its high-wing Next Generation
Piston project has failed to strike a chord with dealers and potential
owners and it has decided to enter the low-wing sweepstakes.
More...

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SENATE
FINANCE COMMITTEE REJECTS USER FEESThe Senate Finance
Committee has approved the "American Infrastructure and Investment Act"
as part of Congress's FAA reauthorization process. The Act in part uses
an increase in fuel taxes as a source of additional funding for the FAA
and its infrastructure modernization efforts. The move was lauded by
NBAA, because it does not include the $25-per-leg user fee that the
Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee was endorsing. "We
agree with the Committee that everyone should support the NextGen
effort, and that the best way for general aviation to contribute is by
'paying at the pump,'" said NBAA CEO, Ed Bolen. (Be sure to listen to
Bolen's comments on the bill in Monday's audiocast). More...

HOUSE
PASSES ITS VERSION OF FAA BILLThere have been backslaps all
around about the Houses convincing 267-151 vote to essentially
maintain the status quo on the way the FAA is funded. In rapid
succession, the Ways and Means Committee, the Rules Committee and the
full House rejected user fees as a method of funding the Next Generation
Airspace System (NextGen) and instead allocated modest increases in
aviation fuel taxes to that effort. The House vote was considered a slam
dunk by most aviation leaders but things get more interesting with the
Senate. More...

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SSSHHH:
DAYJETS UP AND RUNNINGDayJet, the largest customer for
Eclipse 500 very light jets, has been quietly conducting revenue flights
for more than a week as it shakes down the operation. Although there
have been no official announcements about the commencement of air taxi
operations, a column by James Fallows in The Atlantic.com spilled the beans and DayJet
spokesman Jeff Benanto confirmed the operation to AVweb in an
e-mail Thursday. Right now DayJet is enabling a small number of
members to use the system, Benanto said. The goal is to
slowly ramp up to the point early next month when all the members can
use the system. More...

NO
MORE DUMBING DOWN GPSThe Department of Defense says its next
generation of GPS satellites wont come with an on/off switch for
civilian users. Because the system was originally deployed as a military
system, the military wanted the ability to degrade the accuracy of the
signal or eliminate it entirely to prevent it from being used against
them. But with GPS in everything from cellphones to tracking chips in
store merchandise, the DoD long ago gave up any hope of keeping it a
discretionary asset and effectively turned off the "selective ability"
function in 2000. More...

In Print & Online,
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FRIENDLY-FIRE
PILOT LOSES SUIT AGAINST AIR FORCEMaj. Harry Schmidt, who
mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on Canadian troops, killing four
Canadian soldiers in 2002, lost a suit against the U.S. Air Force on
Thursday. Schmidt claimed the Air Force damaged his reputation by
releasing the contents of a letter of reprimand. In a military-style
plea arrangement, Schmidt avoided court martial for the friendly-fire
accident but his actions were harshly criticized by his superiors in the
letter. But U.S. District Court Judge Jeanne Scott ruled that the public
interest outweighed Schmidt's personal privacy in this case. "The
release of Schmidt's reprimand gave the public, in the United States,
and around the world, insight into the way in which the United States
government was holding its pilot accountable. Thus considering all of
the circumstances, the disclosures at issue were clearly warranted,"
Scott said. More...

DETAILS
COULD SCUTTLE FAA BILLWhile there seems to be agreement in
the Senate and House that user fees will not be part of the FAA's next
reauthorization package, details in the House bill that was recently
passed could hamstring its passage and lead to a veto. The
administration has already said it would veto the bill over a section
that requires the FAA to resume negotiations with air traffic
controllers and to go to arbitration if those talks fail. The FAA
imposed a contract on the controllers (with Congress' tacit blessing)
more than a year ago, and the controllers union has relentlessly
criticized the deal, blaming it for an exodus of experienced controllers
and a bottoming-out of morale. The White House has the votes it needs to
veto since the 267-151 margin is less than the two-thirds required to
block a veto. The other hot-button issue tucked in bill that could cause
political fireworks is a provision to increase the mandatory retirement
age for airline pilots from 60 to 65. More...

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HIGHWAY
LANDING IMAGE CAPTURES HEADLINESHardly a day goes by that we
dont hear about some kind of off-airport landing, but the images
accompanying one pilots bad day in Florida have captured the
imagination of even non-pilots. Pilot Robert W. Robertson, 34, was just
about the only thing left intact after the Beech Super 18 he was flying
lost power Friday, and came down hard on a freeway in Fort Lauderdale.
After the crash, Robertson remained strapped in his seat with the
shredded aircraft around him until rescuers could cut him free.
More...

VTOL
CONCEPT AT CAMARILLO: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS PLANE?AVweb
reader Mike Palmer sent us this tantalizing photo of a Vertical Take-Off
and Landing (VTOL) craft from last week's Camarillo Air
Show in California. We're currently gathering en masse in Atlanta
for the NBAA Convention 2007, so we're hoping AVweb readers can
provide more information this latest craft from the "ohh, cool" file. If
you saw it at Camarillo (or know more about it), drop us a line! (Click
through for the photo.) More...

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AVWEB'S
MONDAY PODCAST: NBAA'S ED BOLEN ON THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION BILL 
AND NBAA 2007 IN ATLANTAIf you were looking for a definition
of busy, National Business Aviation Association President Ed Bolen would
fill the bill. Not only is NBAA's big convention coming up Tuesday in
Atlanta, there are major developments in Washington concerning the
prospect of user fees being applied to general aviation and particularly
business aviation. Bolen took a few minutes to bring AVweb's Russ
Niles up to date on the latest in Washington and to tell us a bit about
what we can expect in Atlanta. More...

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EXCLUSIVE
VIDEO: BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE RED BULL AIR RACES 2007 IN SAN
DIEGOHow do they clear those pylons at speeds topping
200mph? And how much Red Bull do air race pilots like Michael Goulian
and Mike Mangold really consume to "give them the wings" they need to
compete in the Air Race World Series? AVweb's Glenn Pew ventured
to the races in San Diego last week to find out. And though he lost a
few hats to stiff breezes whisked in by the racers, he managed to bring
back an incredible reel of video highlights and an exclusive look at the
intense two-day preparation period with racer Michael Goulian. (Click
through to watch.) More...

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GREASOLOGYIs
it really necessary to bother chasing down the proper grease for your
airplane? We think so. More...

Mike Busch Is Coming to a Town Near
You!
If you live near or in one of these states  California, New
Mexico, or Oklahoma  Mike Busch will be offering his acclaimed
Savvy Owner Seminar. In one information-packed weekend, you will
learn how to have a safer, more reliable aircraft while saving
thousands of dollars on maintenance costs, year after year. For
complete details (and to reserve your space),
click here.

The Civil Air Patrol's Brent Ludlow spent quite a
few hours there during the last two weeks as part of the search
for missing aviator Steve Fossett. Ludlow spoke highly of both FBO
operators and the airport's Taildragger
Restaurant:

You all made us welcome and promptly
responded to anything we needed. You helped all of us in the Civil Air
Patrol to do our job, and I hope everyone flying through there stops to
enjoy the hospitality that we have
seen.

Congratulations to the folks at Minden-Tahoe
 and Brent, watch your e-mail. We'll be in touch about sending you
an official AVweb ball cap.

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AVMAIL:
SEP. 24, 2007Reader mail this week about anticollision
devices, a misidentified Flying Fortress, a pilot's history and more.
More...

WANTED:
AVIATION WRITER, EDITOR AND WEB PERSONAVweb has an opening
for an able and experienced aviation writer and editor with proven
experience in both print and web publishing, although we're willing to
train the right person in the finer points of massaging content for the
web. This position requires relocation to our Sarasota, Florida office.
If this description fits you, contact aviationeditorial@comcast.net. More...

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